Discover the “UMAMI” taste with Gopaldhara Queens Delicacy & Moon Drops First Flush Tea

Gopaldhara is known for its exotic and unique Darjeeling teas. Why unique teas? Yes, they all are unique for their different tastes and characters.

In this content I would like to introduce one of our special teas, the “Gopaldhara Queens Delicacy”. It is a limited edition rare First Flush tea which has a bright green finely plucked whole leaves. This kind of tea is made during the first two weeks of First Flush and is produced in very few quantities. During the cold winter months of December to February there is no production and all the bushes are in hibernation. Once the season starts the bushes are in a special state and produce some exquisite flavor. The low temperatures experienced during March impart a very distinct character to the tea. So it has a tantalizing sweet aroma of ripe fruits with a perfect balance of Umami taste. The exact science as to what happens to the bushes during the hibernation period is not known to us.

Surprised with the word “UMAMI”?

We all know about the four basic tastes i.e. sweet, sour, bitter and salty. But we never noticed that there is an additional taste called “Umami”. It is a Japanese word which means “pleasant savory taste”. We’ve all tasted this umami taste without noticing it. Some of our foods which have this umami taste are tomatoes, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce and parmesan cheese and breast milk

In 1907 Ikeda Kikunae a chemistry professor of the Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) discovered the umami taste from glutamate of Kombu (a kelp stock used in many Japanese dishes) and in 1985 umami taste was officially recognized that it is a distinct taste rather than a mix taste of sweet, sour, bitter and salty. In 2000 Nirupa Chaudhari and his colleagues from the University of Miami also proved that umami is a basic taste.

Gopaldhara Queens Delicacy also contains L-Theanine and glutamate which are amino acids. These acids intensify the umami taste besides adding sweetness to the tea. Most of the taste buds on the tongue and other regions of the mouth can detect umami taste which is present in Queens Delicacy, but it is a very delicate flavor. The tea is also very fruity and mellow. The flavor is full and it leaves behind a very pleasant and distinct aftertaste.